Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-06-14

says he. 1--WE got three children at home
with the measles and all questions OF po-
litical economy are secondary to that.
That touched me in tender spot, for |
knowed how had lost all interest in pol
itics when our baby was sick, and l felt
how much higher the father was to the
man than the politician was.
asst him though about the order to
get into the sacred mysteries of the House
Of Commons, and he put me on the right
track and got me the order.
took it very thankful, and day or
two alterward / tried it on the same
policeman and went in. After him l saw
a half dozen more, and after rs much
monkey business rs l went through to
jine my lodge, | got to the door of the
house. l had a special ticket that let me
into a seat holding eight people on the
floor of the house, and passing the last
doorkeeper / got in. And what did l see?
A magnificent hall, in purple and gilt,
with gold thrones and porphyry seats and
so forth? Not much! 1t was a dark,
dingy oak finished room, with a seating
capacity of 600, with leather covered
benches, four rows deep, running along
the sides, with galleries above and across
the ends; all for members but the ends
and the narrow place where | was. 1t
wasn't any better than the court house at
Wayback, aud | began to think they had
all them police around to keep people from
finding out how poor and mean the place
was. The speaker has "a canOpied chair at
end opposite the main door, and there
amt enough doors in the place for can
didate to have any show in getting job
for valuable constituent.
They don't have any desks like we do;
no fireplaees and no sofys at the back to
set around and tell stories; no cloak room
handy to loaf in during long speeches; no
smoking, and nary n spittOOn in the whole
enclosure. Every man sets with his plug
hat on, but takes it off when he gets up to
talk, and the entire surroundings are as
| uncomfortable as they could be made.
The speaker wears white wig, and, with
hi-, clerks, is about the only man that
looks like he..had come to stay. They had
commenced business when / got in, and
about five minutes later | heerd the door
keeper and so forth outside yelling:
''Make way for the Black Rod make way
for the Black ROdr' and the Black Rod
came in. He was thin, little old chap in
knee breeches and black swallow tail coat
and looked like the apothecary in Romeo
and Juliet, and carried a gold mounted
black rod in his hand. He bowed himself
up to the speaker, delivered a message
from the House of Lords, backed ont bow
ing, and then the speaker and the members
fell in behind him and went over to the
! lords side asst what il all meant, and
they told me that was the way the lords
reported bill to the House. I'd like to
see Secretary McCOok or Cole SIMPSON
come over from the Senate some day
rugged out in that way and take us Con-
greSsmen over to their side to tell us what
they had done with bill. Arevolution or q
Chicago anarchy wouldn't be patchin to it.
When they came back business pro.
ceeded, and / had fair chance to see q
good many of the members. Gladstone
set over near the speaker in the front row
looking hale and hearty, but he talked
like an old man, with the shake in hi:
voice, and some of the members yelled
"Herep' "Herew when he sat down. W.
H. Smith, the leader of the other side, sci
nearly opposite, and he had good many
questions to answer from the Irish mem
bers. Healy, the member from Ireland
reminded me of Brother Springer, from
the number Of times he had something t.
say, but he didn't wear buttonholC
bouquet, and let more of them seemed
] ahopt as active in keeping still as some o.
our members of Congress. Heaiy is
nice looking man, of middlin size, darl
hair and whiskeIs and wears glasses
Randolph Churchill set in his corner al
the time, pulling his mOustache and think
ing about something else besides politics
III bet dollar. He looked like mar
who had got up out of bed that morning
wrong end formost. / didn't see Paruel
or Joe Chamberlain. / reckon they mus
have been busy at committee meeting.
noticed a good many members who looked
like boys, and their faces were as smooth
as billiard ball. On an average, Nth,
body might have been set down in ouI
House of Representatives and q man il
the gallery couldn't have told the differ
ence. mean by that that they are al
purity good looking men.
They swOre in new member, too, anG
when he came in every man raised q yell
for a minute, and by that time the cere
mOny was over and he was in his seat.
never seen man railrOaded through
quicker.
Then the house went into the COMMITTEES
OF the whole, and Mr.. Courtney in dres:
suit took the chair on the Irish crimes bill
One member made speech that nobody
could hear, and q division was called for.
| was getting interested, when all at ono.
a doOrkeeper popped in and turned every
visitor of us out, and done il with about a.
much politeness as would drive a lot O
hogs out of my cornfeld in Wayback.
thought he would take hold of me once
and l was getting ready to give him a sam
pie of Congressional muscle, but he wisely
forebOre, and we got out without accident
to him This is another of the old fogy
customs, and is about as all fired silly
piece of business rs / know of. It is ever
worse than an executive session of th,
United States Senate. Nobody know
why they do it, and they don't know
themselves.
We all went out in the lobby, and tn
more / thought about it the madden i got
and, finally, told a man / wouldn't sta,
in such q gang, and didn't. went hom
and / talked in such 8 way that Mand,
said if l had taken another drink woull
have had to come home in patrol wagon
But / was duly sober, and l viii leave j
to any Congressman Of unbiased opinion j
/ didn't have enough 10 make me mad.
The more seeof those efFete monarchie
the better like the land Of the free, th
silicon which Liberty blooms Ike the rOs'
Of sharon and the lily ofthe valley. N
more at present. Yours truly.
w. o. WAxEn.